Red Wings recall Tangradi, Jensen from Griffins

The Detroit Red Wings have made a pair of call-ups this afternoon, bringing up forward Eric Tangradi and defenceman Nick Jensen from the Grand Rapids Griffins. As well, Joakim Andersson has officially been assigned to the Griffins after clearing waivers.

Jensen’s call-up, in particular, raises a few questions. No Red Wings defenceman has had a confirmed disappearance since last night though there is a bit of speculation that Brendan Smith might be worse for wear. A roster move like this appears to be in line with that belief, but it remains to see if that’s actually the case.

What also makes a Jensen call-up peculiar is the fact that he’s had an unspectacular season. While advertised as a reliable two-way defenceman, he appears to be missing the offensive side of his game this year, with just nine points in 45 games; 5th among Griffins defencemen. The 25-year-old Minnesota native has an apparent ability to shoot pucks through mesh, but beyond that, there’s nothing that stands out in his game that says he’s deserving of a call up at this time. His cap hit is something that the team surely likes, however; he comes in at just $587,500 over a full season.

On the flip side, Tangradi has turned a lot of heads this reason in a bit of an AHL renaissance. The 26-year-old, once a top prospect in the Anaheim Ducks organization, has 31 points in 36 games with the Griffins this year, a pace that leads the team and is the best he’s ever put up in this level. While it’s unlikely that he ever becomes the top-flight power forward that some expected him to be, he’s at least earned another shot at the league and, like Jensen, carries a low $575,000 cap hit.

Both players could join the Wings as early as tomorrow, when they take on the New York Islanders. As for Andersson, who we went into more detail on previously, his Griffins debut could come as early as tonight against Rochester.